Cyphophthalmi Research

Cypho-Expeditions

During the past few years we have organized and participated in expeditions to collect Cyphophthalmi in all continents except Antarctica, where they became extinct.

2001. South Africa (March)

Expedition funded by the Putnam Expedition Grants, MCZ
Participants: Gonzalo Giribet and Lorenzo Prendini
Areas: Kwazulu-Natal and Western Cape Provinces
Species: Purcellia illustrans, Parapurcellia silvicola, Parapurcellia monticola

2001. Western Europe (France, Spain, Portugal) (July)

Participants: Gonzalo Giribet and Michele Nishiguchi
Areas: Cévennes Mountains (France), Pontevedra (Spain), North of Portugal
Species: Siro rubens, Paramiopsalis ramulosus

2003. New Zealand (January-February)

Expedition funded by the Putnam Expedition Grants, MCZ
Participants: Sarah Boyer, Cyrille D'Haese, Greg Edgecombe and Gonzalo Giribet
Areas: North Island, South Island, Stewart Island
Species: Neopurcellia salmoni, Rakaia antipodiana, R. calcarobtusa westlandica, R. denticulata denticulata, R. denticulata major, R. dorothea, R. inerma, R. lindsayi, R. magna australis, R. pauli, R. sorenseni sorenseni, R. sorenseni digitata, R. stewartiensis and two new species of Rakaia

Male of Neopurcellia salmoni

2003. Queensland, Australia (February)

Expedition funded by the Putnam Expedition Grants, MCZ
Participants: Gonzalo Giribet and Cyrille D'Haese
Areas: Cape Tribulation Section, Mount Lewis State Forest, Crater Lakes N.P.
Species: Austropurcellia scoparia, Neopurcellia forsteri, Rakaia arcticosa, Rakaia daviesae

2003. Equatorial Guinea (August)

Expedition funded by the NSF
Participants: Gonzalo Giribet and Carlos Prieto
Areas: Bioko and Continental Region
Species: Paragovia sironoides and 3 undescribed species

2004. Mexico (April)

Participants: Gonzalo Giribet, Julián Bueno and Rogelio Macías-Ordóñez
Areas: Oaxaca
Species: We targetted the cavernicolous species "Neogovea" mexasca but we did not find any specimens in the type locality

2004. Spain (June)

Participants: Gonzalo Giribet and Salvador Carranza
Areas: Berga (province of Barcelona)
Species: Parasiro coiffaiti

2004. Sri Lanka (June)

Expedition funded by the Putnam Expedition Grants, MCZ
Participants: Sarah Boyer, Gonzalo Giribet, Indika Karunarathna and Prashant Sharma
Areas: Central Province and Province of Uva
Species: Pettalus cf. cimiciformis and 5 undescribed species

Male of Pettalus cf. cimiciformis from the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens (Sri Lanka)

Female of Pettalus cf. cimiciformis from the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens (Sri Lanka)

2004. New Zealand (July)

Expedition funded by the NSF
Participants: Sarah Boyer and Gonzalo Giribet.
Areas: North Island, South Island
Species: Neopurcellia florensis, Neopurcellia minutissima, Rakaia crypta, Rakaia denticulata, Rakaia dorothea, Rakaia media, Rakaia solitaria, and 4 other species

2004. Western Australia (July)

Expedition funded by the NSF
Participants: Gonzalo Giribet, Stephanie Huff and Michele Nishiguchi
Areas: Pemberton Parks
Species: Karripurcellia harveyi

Male of Karripurcellia harveyi the Pemberton Parks, Western Australia

2004. Colombia (October-November)

Expedition funded by the NSF
Participants: Ligia Benavides and Gonzalo Giribet
Areas: Departamentos de Boyacá, Amazonas and Nariño
Species: Five new species belonging to the genera Huitaca, Neogovea and Metagovea

A new species of Huitaca from Boyacá (Colombia)

2005. Florida (March)

Expedition funded by the NSF
Participants: Sarah Boyer, Ron Clouse and Gonzalo Giribet
Areas: Torreya State Park
Species: Metasiro americanus

2005. Japan (April)

Expedition funded by the NSF
Participants: Sarah Boyer, Gonzalo Giribet and Nobuo Tsurusaki
Areas: Honshu Island
Species: Suzukielus sauteri

Suzukielus sauteri from Mt. Takao in the Tokyo Prefecture, Honshu (Japan)

2005. US Pacific NW (June)

Expedition funded by the NSF
Participants: Sarah Boyer, Ron Clouse and Gonzalo Giribet
Areas: Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Northern California
Species: Siro acaroides, Siro calaveras, Siro kamiakensis, Siro shasta, Siro sonoma

2005. Corsica and Sardinia (October)

Expedition funded by the NSF
Participants: Gonzalo Giribet and Miquel Arnedo
Areas: Corsica and Sardinia
Species: Although we targetted two species of Parasiro we did not find any specimens

2006. New Zealand (January)

Expedition funded by the NSF
Participants: Jessica Baker, Sarah Boyer, Greg Edgecombe and Gonzalo Giribet.
Areas: South Island
Species: Neopurcellia florensis, Neopurcellia minutissima, Rakaia antipodiana, Rakaia calcarobtusa westlandica, Rakaia denticulata denticulata, Rakaia denticulata major, Rakaia longitarsa, Rakaia macra, Rakaia magna australia, Rakaia uniloca and three undescribed species of Rakaia

Male of Rakaia longitarsa from Aroraki (Mt. Cook National Park) in the South Island of New Zealand

2006. Indonesia (June)

Expedition funded by the Putnam Expedition Grants, MCZ
Participants: Ron Clouse, Cahyo Rahmadi and Gonzalo Giribet
Areas: Eastern Java, Northern Sulawesi, South Sulawesi
Species: Stylocellus javanus, and ca. 8 other species of Stylocellus

2007. New Caledonia (April)

Expedition funded by the
Participants: Prashant Sharma and Jerome Murienne
Areas:
Species: Troglosiro juberthiei, T. wilsoni